1. Purpose and Objectives
This policy provides specific details regarding the hosting, management and use of UQ’s email service.
This policy is an extension of the more general Acceptable Use of UQ Information and Communication Technology Resources Policy [2] and associated procedures and guidelines and must be read in conjunction with that policy.
2. Definitions, Terms, Acronyms
Users - staff, students and alumni who are provided with a UQ email account
OU - organisational unit
SIMC - Strategic Information Management Committee
Alumni - Graduates of all UQ degree programs, awardees of honorary doctorates, incoming exchange and study abroad students are considered UQ Alumni [3] for the purpose of this policy.
3. Policy Scope/Coverage
This policy applies to all users and providers of UQ’s ICT email service.
4. Policy Statements
ITS will maintain the official email system for UQ whether it be provided internally or through an agreement with an outsourced services provider.
If an OU wishes to maintain their own email server, approval must be obtained from the Chair of the SIMC.
A UQ email address will be used by UQ for the delivery of all official University email.
Staff must not use externally hosted accounts for university correspondence, except where approved by the head of the appropriate OU.
Staff emails (including staff accounts provided to HDR Students) must not be automatically forwarded to an external service provider (such as Big Pond, Google, Yahoo) except for specific exceptions in each case.
Staff are required to use their official UQ email address on all university business correspondence.
Retiring academic staff will retain their email account for life. Email for life does not apply to academic staff who leave UQ but who are not retiring. Accounts with no activity for a period of 6 months will be terminated.
Users of "Email+ for Life" are required to comply with the Email+ for Life Terms of Use [4]. Students and Alumni may forward University of Queensland email to another account, either internal or external.
It is the responsibility of users to ensure they check and maintain their University email account on a regular basis.
Subject to PPL 4.10.13 Intellectual Property for Staff, Students and Visitors [5], a UQ staff (including HDR staff) email account and its contents is owned by UQ whether the account is supported by UQ or authorised third parties.
UQ may monitor, access, restrict, terminate or suspend email accounts under any of the following circumstances:
- When the user or the user's account has breached a UQ policy
- For security and system maintenance purposes
- When approved by the Provost, the Chief Operating Officer or the Chief Information Officer, under the Procedures applicable to this Policy.
Email messages are documents of the University for the purpose of the Right to Information Act 2009 and the Information Privacy Act 2009.
Only designated representatives of the University may send communications to many recipients in a single email except where staff or students subscribe to this service. Examples of multiple recipient groups and details of authorisation are given in the Procedure ‘Sending Bulk Messages [6]'.